What Does 1 Corinthians 3:7 Mean in the King James?

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.

1 Corinthians 3:7 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The hands that tend life are not the source of its growth.

THE MEANING

Your hands can plant and water, but they do not contain the source of growth. God is the one making increase happen; the work of tending is real, while the power to make it grow belongs to God.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The lie is that the person tending the work is its source, so the growth belongs to the planter or waterer.

THE ROOT

αὐξάνων

auxanōn

GROWS FROM

αὐξ-

aux-

Grow, increase, enlarge.

“giveth the increase” in this verse is auxanōn. The Greek form means the one making grow. Growth appears as God’s ongoing action, not something the planter or waterer manufactures.

ALSO GROWS

auxēsis: Growth, increase.

αὔξησις

This is the related noun for growth; Colossians uses it for the increase that comes from God.

auxanō: To grow, increase, make grow.

αὐξάνω

This is the verb behind the verse’s image of God as the one causing growth.

φυτεύων

phuteuōn

GROWS FROM

⁨φυτ-⁩ (phyt-), related to ⁨φύω⁩ (phuō)

Plant; grow, spring forth, bring forth.

“planteth” in this verse is phuteuōn. The planting word belongs to a family tied to what grows and comes forth. The planter sets the seed in place, but the word’s growth-family points beyond the act of planting to what unfolds from it.

ALSO GROWS

phuō: Grow, spring forth, bring forth.

φύω

It names the growth latent in the image of planting, while the verse distinguishes tending from causing increase.

physis: Nature, natural constitution.

φύσις

This related word for nature carries the sense of what has arisen or grown, extending the planting image into the life that unfolds.

ποτίζων

potizōn

GROWS FROM

ποτ-

pot-

Drink, take in a drink.

“watereth” in this verse is potizōn. The waterer is named by the act of giving drink. The word describes provision received by the plant, not the power that makes it grow.

ALSO GROWS

poma: Drink, beverage.

πόμα

This related word keeps the watering image connected to what is given to drink.

potērion: Drinking cup, cup.

ποτήριον

The drinking vessel belongs to the same word-family and underscores that the waterer’s role is to provide what can be received.

THE PATTERN

Those who tend life serve its growth; God is the one who gives it.

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

Psalm 104:14 · KJVGod is named as the one causing grass to grow and bringing food forth from the earth.

And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.

Mark 4:27 · KJVThe seed grows beyond the planter’s understanding or control.

From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:16 · KJVEach part supplies something to the joined body, while its increase comes through the one from whom it grows.

THE THREAD

And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

Colossians 2:19 · KJV

Increaseth and increase translate forms from the same Greek growth-family as ⁨αὐξάνων⁩ (auxanōn), the one making grow in this verse. Colossians carries the image from a planted field to a joined body: nourishment and connection are present, while the increase comes from God.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us